This invention relates in general to wireless communication systems, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for assisting a user to find a communication resource of sufficient capacity.
Wireless communication systems having very small coverage areas are proposed for providing high-speed data access for people in buildings such as office buildings, train stations, shopping malls, and airport terminals. Such installations have to deal with sporadic traffic peaks that can occur at specific locations due to various events occurring in the building, e.g., arrivals and departures of transportation, special shows, meal times, etc. The traffic peaks can temporarily consume all or most of the capacity available at a particularly busy location, blocking additional communications at the location, while capacity goes unused at a nearby less busy location.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus that can determine the location of a nearby communication resource having available capacity and that can identify the location to the user, preferably along with an indication of the current traffic load at the location. The indication of the current traffic load will allow the user to make an informed decision about whether a trip to the nearby location will likely succeed in enabling a desired communication.
An aspect of the present invention is a method for assisting a user to find an available communication resource. The method comprises the steps of measuring a traffic load of ones of a plurality of fixed communication stations; and transmitting from at least one of the plurality of fixed communication stations information describing a location of the at least one of the plurality of fixed communication stations and locations of nearby others of the plurality of fixed communication stations, along with traffic loads corresponding to the stations. The method further comprises the step of conveying the information from a portable communication unit within communication range of the at least one of the plurality of fixed communication stations, thereby assisting the user of the portable communication unit to find a fixed communication station having sufficient capacity available for handling a desired communication.
Another aspect of the present invention is a wireless communication system for assisting a user to find an available communication resource. The wireless communication system comprises a plurality of fixed communication stations, each station comprising a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver. The processor is programmed to measure a traffic load of the station; and to control the transceiver to transmit information describing a location of the station and locations of nearby others of the plurality of fixed communication stations, along with traffic loads corresponding to the stations. The wireless communication system further comprises a portable communication unit for conveying the information to the user, thereby assisting the user to find a fixed communication station having sufficient capacity available for handling a desired communication.
Another aspect of the present invention is a fixed communication station, comprising a transceiver, and a processor coupled to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver. The processor is programmed to measure a traffic load of the station, and to control the transceiver to transmit information describing a location of the station and locations of nearby others of the plurality of fixed communication stations, along with traffic loads corresponding to the stations.